S. Korea, Saudi Arabia to form W208.4b joint investment fund

South Korea and Saudi Arabia will form a 208.4 billion won ($155 million) joint fund to help Korean startups attract investments and advance to the Middle Eastern market, government officials said Sunday. Saudi Arabia will inject 195.4 billion won into the fund and Korea Venture Investment Corp. will invest the remaining 13 billion won in it, according to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. From Saudi Arabia, Saudi Venture Capital Co. and Public Investment Fund (PIF) Jada will make an investment

June 11, 2023

Solar power emerging as major energy source in S. Korea

Solar power generation accounted for close to 40 percent of South Korea's overall electricity demand at one point in April, industry data showed Sunday, suggesting it has emerged as a major source of energy in the country. A total of 21,778 megawatts was generated through solar power between noon and 1 p.m. on April 9, accounting for 39.2 percent of the country's total power use of 55,577 megawatts, according to data from the Korea Power Exchange and state utility Korea Electric Power

June 11, 2023

Samsung Electronics most preferred stock as gifts in May

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. was the most preferred stock as gifts among domestic investors last month, a local brokerage analysis showed Sunday. Shares in Samsung Electronics topped gifting stock services of the home trading and mobile trading systems operated by the country's seven securities companies in May, according to the brokerages' analysis. The seven securities firms are NH Investment & Securities Co., Samsung Securities Co., Hana Securities Co., KB Sec

June 11, 2023

S. Korea's current account returns to deficit in April

South Korea's current account returned to a deficit in April due to decreased dividend payments from overseas and a deficit in the travel-related account, central bank data showed Friday. The country's current account deficit reached $790 million in April, swinging from a surplus of $160 million a month earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea. In January, the country also suffered a record deficit of $4.21 billion amid an extended decline in outbound shipments

June 9, 2023

Samsung Heavy wins certification for design of LCO2 carrier

South Korean shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries Co. said Thursday it has won an approval in principle for the conceptual design of a liquefied carbon dioxide carrier from a local certification agency. The AIP from the Korean Register means that Samsung Heavy Industries' conceptual design of the storage tank of a 40,000-cubic-meter LCO2 carrier has been confirmed to meet the agency's technical requirements and standards for safety, the shipbuilder said. Samsung Heavy Industries said it h

June 8, 2023

S. Korea to end consumption tax cut on passenger cars after 5 years

South Korea will terminate the cut in the consumption tax on passenger cars starting next month, the finance ministry said Thursday, in an apparent move to make up for a recent decrease in tax revenue. In July 2018, the government slashed the auto consumption tax to 3.5 percent from 5 percent and had extended the measure in an effort to boost domestic demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The tax cut is supposed to expire at the end of June and the government decided not to extend it anymore "

June 8, 2023

KB chief stresses role of finance in net-zero transition

KB Financial Group said Wednesday that Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo stressed the role of finance in achieving a net-zero transition at a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Advisory Board of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, or GFANZ, held in Singapore on Monday. The GFANZ is an alliance of over 550 financial institutions from 50 countries. Established in April 2021, the coalition aims to promote a net-zero economy and tackle climate change. Its Asian advisory committee was also set up in June las

June 7, 2023

S. Korea to lift set of regulations to induce W300b of investment

South Korea plans to lift a set of industrial regulations to try to induce combined private investment worth 300 billion won ($231 million), the finance ministry said Wednesday. The plan, the fifth of its kind, will lift hurdles for five investment projects, including construction of production lines, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. "South Korea's exports have experienced a recent decline, primarily attributed to the deteriorating IT sector and weak business sentiment

June 7, 2023

S. Korea seeks to win major energy, industry projects in Azerbaijan

South Korea asked for Azerbaijan's support Wednesday for its companies seeking to take part in major energy and other industry projects in the European nation, the industry ministry said. Deputy Trade Minister Jeong Dae-jin made the request during their joint economic commission meeting in Seoul on the day, as the two nations explored ways to enhance bilateral economic and industry cooperation, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. South Korean companies are pushing to pa

June 7, 2023

Banks' Q1 net up 24 pct on higher interest income

South Korean banks saw their first-quarter net profit rise 24 percent from a year earlier on higher interest and non-interest income, preliminary data showed Friday. Their combined net profit came to 7 trillion won ($5.4 billion) in the January-March period, up from 5.6 trillion won tallied a year ago, according to data from the Financial Supervisory Service. The figure was up 55.9 percent from 4.5 trillion won three months ago. Local banks' interest income totaled 14.7 trillion won in the

June 2, 2023

S. Korea's economy grows 0.3% in Q1, unchanged from earlier estimate: BOK data

South Korea's economy grew 0.3 percent in the first quarter of this year, unchanged from an earlier estimate, largely thanks to a sustained recovery in private spending amid an extended slowdown in exports, central bank data showed Friday. The country's gross domestic product -- a key measure of economic growth -- increased 0.3 percent in the January-March period from three months earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea. The first-quarter expansion follows a 0

June 2, 2023

S. Korea showing signs of export recovery: finance minister

South Korean exports are showing some signs of a recovery on the back of rising demand from China and increasing outbound shipments of semiconductors, the finance minister said Friday. South Korea's exports fell for an eighth consecutive month in May, reaching $52.24 billion, down 15.2 percent on-year, government data showed this week. The decline mostly came as exports of semiconductors sank 36.2 percent on-year on falling demand and a drop in chip prices. "Exports for May fell by two

June 2, 2023

S. Korea's consumer prices slow for 4th month in May

South Korea's consumer prices growth slowed for the fourth consecutive month in May from a year ago, data showed Friday, in yet another signal that the country's inflation has passed its peak. Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 3.3 percent last month from a year earlier, compared with a 3.7 percent on-year rise in April, according to the report from Statistics Korea. The growth fell below 4 percent for the first time in 14 months in April. The prices of utility services shot up 23.2

June 2, 2023

S. Korea's exports down for 8th month in May on sagging chip demand

South Korea's exports fell for an eighth consecutive month in May due mainly to weak demand for semiconductors amid an economic slowdown, the industry ministry said Thursday. Outbound shipments fell 15.2 percent on-year to $52.24 billion last month, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. The decline came as exports of semiconductors, the country's key export item, sank 36.2 percent on falling demand and a drop in chip prices. Imports fell 14 percent on-yea

June 1, 2023

Tax revenue down W34t through April

SEJONG -- South Korea's tax revenue fell 33.9 trillion won ($25.7 billion) in the first four months of the year compared with a year earlier, data showed Wednesday, as an economic slump weighed down on business activities. Tax revenue amounted to 134 trillion won during the January-April period, down from 167.9 trillion won tallied a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Last month, the government collected 46.9 trillion won in taxes, down 9.9 trillion won from the

May 31, 2023

S. Korea's exports of tractors hit fresh record in 2022

South Korea's exports of agriculture tractors hit a record high in 2022 by advancing 23 percent on-year, data showed Wednesday, amid growing demand for small-sized models. The value of tractors shipped overseas came to $1.24 billion in 2022, rising from $1 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service. The amount also marked a sharp rise from $657 million posted in 2020, the data showed. The customs office said the increase was driven by rising

May 31, 2023

Foreign ownership of S. Korean land rises 1.8 % in 2022

Foreign ownership of South Korean land rose 1.8 percent in 2022 from a year earlier, the land ministry said Wednesday. Foreigners owned 264.01 square kilometers -- slightly more than four times the size of Manhattan -- at the end of December. It represents 0.26 percent of South Korea's total land area, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. The value of land held by foreigners also increased 2.6 percent to 32.88 trillion won ($24.8 billion) over the cited pe

May 31, 2023

Industrial output dips most in over 1 year in April; inventories at record high

SEJONG-- South Korea's industrial output dropped by the most in over a year in April due to an extended slump in the chipmaking sector, data showed Wednesday, with the inventory level at a fresh high. Industrial output dropped 1.4 percent on-month last month, snapping two consecutive months of gains, and marked the sharpest drop since a 1.5 percent fall in February last year, according to the data from Statistics Korea. The output in the mining, manufacturing, gas, and electricity industr

May 31, 2023

Travel deficit widens as Koreans travel overseas in droves

South Korea's travel trade balance deficit widened to a three-year high in the first quarter of 2023, as the number of Koreans departing for overseas travel surged amid eased COVID-19 restrictions. According to numbers from the Bank of Korea on Tuesday, the country's travel trade balance marked a $3.23 billion deficit in the first three months of the year, with travel revenue coming in at $3.08 billion and expenditure at $6.32 billion. The figure hit its highest level since it stood a

May 30, 2023

[Contribution] Taxpayer support can serve as springboard for SMEs

By Kim Tae-ho National Tax Service vice commissioner Amid high inflation and elevated interest rates worldwide, the growth of the global economy is being hampered by sluggish domestic demand, as well as contractions in the manufacturing sector and trade. In an effort to overcome the global economic downturn, the Korean government has designated key industries such as semiconductors, secondary batteries and displays as national strategic technologies. This designation aims to expand tax ben

May 29, 2023